首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Ask an American schoolchild what he or she is learning in school these days and you might even get a reply, provided you ask it
Ask an American schoolchild what he or she is learning in school these days and you might even get a reply, provided you ask it
admin
2013-10-08
82
问题
Ask an American schoolchild what he or she is learning in school these days and you might even get a reply, provided you ask it in Spanish. But don’t bother, here’s the answer: Americans nowadays are not learning any of the things that we learned in our day, like reading and writing. Apparently these are considered antique old subjects, invented by white males to oppress women and minorities.
What are they learning? In a Vermont college town I found the answer sitting in a toy store book rack, next to typical kids’ books like "Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy Is Dysfunctional". It’s a teacher’s guide called "Happy To Be Me", subtitled "Building Self Esteem".
Self-esteem, as it turns out, is a big subject in American classrooms. Many American schools see building it as important as teaching reading and writing. They call it "whole language" teaching, borrowing terminology from the granola people to compete in the education marketplace.
No one ever spent a moment building my self-esteem when I was in school. In fact, from the day I first stepped inside a classroom my self-esteem was one big demolition site. All that mattered was "the subject," be it geography, history, or mathematics. I was praised when I remembered that "near", "fit", "friendly", "pleasing", "like" and their opposites took the dative case in Latin. I was scolded when I forgot what a cosine was good for. Generally I lived my school years beneath a torrent of criticism so consistent I eventually ceased to hear it, as people who live near the sea eventually stop hearing the waves.
Schools have changed. Scolding is out, for one thing. More important, subjects have changed. Whereas I learned English, modern kids learn something called "language skills." Whereas I learned writing, modern kids learn something called "communication". Communication, the book tells us, is seven per cent words, 23 per cent facial expression, 20 per cent tone of voice, and 50 per cent body language. So this column, with its carefully chosen words, would earn me at most a grade of seven per cent. That is, if the school even gave out something as oppressive and demanding as grades.
The result is that, in place of English classes, American children are getting a course in How to Win Friends and Influence People. Consider the new attitude toward journal writing: I remember one high school English class when we were required to keep a journal. The idea was to emulate those great writers who confided in diaries, searching their souls and perfecting their critical thinking on paper.
"Happy To Be Me" states that journals are a great way for students to get in touch with their feelings. Tell students they can write one sentence or a whole page. Reassure them that no one, not even you, will read what they write. After the unit, hopefully all students will be feeling good about themselves and will want to share some of their entries with the class."
There was a time when no self-respecting book for English teachers would use "great" or "hopefully" that way. Moreover, back then the purpose of English courses(an antique term for "Unit")was not to help students "feel good about themselves." Which is good, because all that scolding didn’t make me feel particularly good about anything.
In Paragraph Three "whole language" teaching is in quotation marks because
选项
A、the author is using direct speech.
B、the author is questioning the concept
C、the words quoted are a translation.
D、the author is quoting from another source.
答案
B
解析
修辞题。根据上下文判断作者此处使用引号不可能是引用别人的话、引用其他资料或外来语的翻译;根据全文的基调,作者对新的教育方式持怀疑态度,对这种所谓的“全语言”教育方式的全面性持怀疑态度,故B为正确答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://www.kaotiyun.com/show/bnZO777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
MannersnowadaysinmetropolitancitieslikeLondonarepracticallynon-existent.Itisnothingforabig,strongschoolboytoe
Accordingtothenewresearch,theoddshapemoundswereformedby______.
Whathandshakemean?I.Inone’sowncountry,1.Insomecultures,people—shakehands—bowstoeachother-(1)______(1)_____
______isregardedbyAmericanas"thefatherofthecountry".
WhichofthefollowingisCORRECTaboutMr.Zuk?
WhichofthefollowingstatementsisCORRECTaccordingtothenewsitem?
BritishEducationalSystem1.PrimaryandsecondaryeducationinBritain1)Childrengototheprimaryschoolattheageof(1)
那还是几年前的一个早晨,在太阳刚刚升起来的时候,踏着熹微的晨光,到一个离开旅馆不远的菜市场去。到了邻近菜市场的地方,市场的气氛就逐渐浓了起来。熙熙攘攘的人群,摩肩擦背,来来往往。许多老大娘的菜篮子里装满了蔬菜海味鸡鸭鱼肉。有的篮子里活鱼在摇摆着尾巴,肥鸡在
Whatislikelytobethemajorconcernoftheworktheyaretalkingabout?
Telecom:TheMergerIstheMessageLastyearendedwithabangintelecom.Duringthefinalthreemonths,Cingularclosedits
随机试题
熔化极气体保护焊机与人体易于接触的控制电路,直流电压不超过()。
真寒假热证的假热现象有
其性苦降辛开,主入肺、胃经的药物是
一般来说()是对房地产项目各方面较全面的说明。可以理解为一本简单的“产品说明书”。
对债券类理财产品进行风险评估的主要评估主体是()对收益率的影响。
在下列各项中,可以直接或问接利用普通年金终值系数计算出确切结果的项目有()。
林线是指高纬度地区或高山地区不能形成森林的界线。据研究表明,全球林线高度与植物生长期间的气温密切相关。下图示意全球部分山地高山林线海拔,读图完成下列小题。据图判断,下列说法正确的是()。
当有来自同龄人的压力时,个人往往会有上进的动力,向比自己更优秀的目标靠近。但是,过度的同辈压力可能使人攀比,也会给社会带来急功近利、浮躁、拜金等不良风气。处理同辈压力的关键是要懂得_______,要学会放得下一些东西。填入画横线部分最恰当的一项是:
下边这两套图形具有某种相似性,也存在某种差异。请从所给的四个选项中,选出取代问号的一个,使得两套图表现出最大的相似性,并使得第二套图也表现出自己的特征()
设A=,则A-1=_______.
最新回复
(
0
)